Policy and practice in guidance and counselling in secondary schools in Kenya

Abstract

This thesis explores the policy and practice of the secondary school guidance and counselling programme in Kenya in the context of the school. The study was conducted in three stages beginning with an initial survey at stage one and case studies at stage two. At the third stage of the study, discussions were held with various stakeholders including a focus group discussion with students. The theoretical framework for the study is based on prismatic society (Riggs, 1964; Harber and Davies, 1997), and Fullan’s (2001) model of educational change, using the person centred counselling approach as the background to counselling. Findings suggest that despite the emphasis on guidance and counselling in schools, the provision of guidance and counselling services is highly variable and somewhat fragmented in scope largely depending on individual schools. The main implication of the study is the need for a more comprehensive guidance and counselling policy in this increasingly important area of education. These relate to the appointment of counsellors, professional issues including a code of conduct for counsellors and the need for a more comprehensive programme that is learner friendly.